HC Deb 22 November 1971 vol 826 cc941-2
17. Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken, or intends taking, to draw to the attention of the Soviet Government the attitude of Her Majesty's Government and the British people towards the treatment of Jews in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; and whether he will make a statement.

Mr. Godber

We have already made clear our views on this matter on a number of occasions.

Mr. Lewis

Will the Minister try to be a little more outspoken and express to the Soviet Government the view of every decent-minded person in this country that anybody should be allowed to live wherever he wants to and to go where he wishes, subject always to the country concerned allowing him entry? Surely it is wrong that the British Government are not protesting much more vigorously on this matter than they have done.

Mr. Godber

I do not know whether the hon. Member is aware of how much protest we have made on this matter. This question has been raised by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and by the Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office when he was in Moscow. It was also raised, at my specific request, at the Human Rights Commission meeting in Geneva earlier this year. We have made many representations, and it is not right to say that we have not.

Mr. Fidler

Would the Minister consider whether, if this is a crime against rights guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as under the Soviet Constitution, it should be pressed more strongly with the Soviet authorities that ethnic, cultural and religious freedom should be granted to the Jewish community in the Soviet Union and that there should be no interference with affidavits coming through from Israel to persons in the Soviet Union who require them to obtain emigrant visas? Should not individual cases be taken up generally, bearing in mind that condemnation of crimes against humanity is not reserved to the citizens of one's own country?

Mr. Godber

I am sure my hon. Friend will appreciate that we have no strict status on the question of taking up individual cases. We can protest on the generality of the issue, but since these are Soviet citizens we have no position from which to take up individual cases.